Miniature Implantable Device Monitors Cardiac Arrhythmia

A small, wireless implant provides long-term remote monitoring to help physicians diagnose and monitor irregular heartbeats.

The Medtronic Reveal LINQ insertable cardiac monitor (ICM) system is approximately one-third the size of a standard AAA battery, and is placed just beneath the skin, through a small incision of less than 1 cm in the upper left side of the chest. The device is placed using a minimally invasive insertion procedure, which simplifies the experience for both physicians and their patients. The system allows physicians to continuously and wirelessly monitor a patient's heart for up to three years, with 20% more data memory than its larger predecessor, the Reveal XT.

The Reveal LINQ ICM system also includes MyCareLink, a simplified remote monitoring system with global cellular technology that transmits patients' cardiac device diagnostic data to their clinicians from nearly any location in the world. In addition to continuous and wireless monitoring capabilities, the system also allows physicians to request notifications on demand to review patients for cardiac events. The system is also MR-Conditional, thus allowing patients to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) if needed. The Reveal LINQ ICM system is a product of Medtronic (Minneapolis, MN, USA), and has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“This miniaturized monitoring system is the result of many years of product development work from engineers focused on shrinking the size of medical devices while maintaining their power and improving benefits for patients,” said Pat Mackin, president of the cardiac rhythm disease management business and senior vice president at Medtronic. “This is game-changing technology for patients who need cardiac monitoring, and we look forward to providing them with the most technologically advanced and minimally invasive approach possible.”

“The Reveal LINQ ICM monitor can help patients find answers to problems that may be heart-related without interrupting their lifestyle,” said Professor Rod Passman, MD, associate director of cardiac electrophysiology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Chicago, IL, USA). “The simplified procedure and insertion tools make the device faster and easier for physicians to implant, which may expand access to more patients needing long-term monitoring.”

The Reveal LINQ ICM is indicated for patients who experience symptoms such as dizziness, palpitation, syncope, and chest pain that may suggest a cardiac arrhythmia, and for patients at increased risk for cardiac arrhythmias.

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